My first thought was the animal, which we commonly know, but still seems exotic to me. It has become the symbol of its native Australia, literally a world away from where I live. I have seen them in zoos, but I've never seen one bounding full-speed with those extraordinary legs and tail.

Kangaroo on the run. Photo by Chris Samuel, Flickr.com

The next entry was "kangaroo court," which means a proceeding that perverts legal rights and makes a miscarriage of justice. I wondered how an animal as cute as a kangaroo had its name attached to such an unpleasant thing.

Lastly, (and this will give away my age) I loved Captain Kangaroo, who was essentially my preschool teacher. I watched the Captain every morning, along with Mr. Moose, who always dropped ping-pong balls on the Captain and Mr. Greenjeans, who always brought animals. I still love to watch animal videos.